<div><div class="entry" readability="104">
Carina "Beauty but the Beast" Damm - Photo courtesy of Strikeforce
Thirty-two-year-old Brazilian Carina “Beauty but the Beast†Damm (15-6) will return to mixed martial arts action on May 27 when she faces “Gorilla†Deize at Amazon Fights 8 in Belém, Pará, Brazil.
Damm, who fights at 125-pounds, was on a 10-fight win streak prior to making her Strikeforce debut in August of last year where she suffered a second round submission loss to Japanese “Girlfight Monster†Hitomi Akano.
Her most recent fight, which resulted in her third straight loss, was against Tara LaRosa at Shark Fights 14 in March. After a back and forth first round, LaRosa submitted Damm with a heel hook 28 seconds into round two.
Now living and training in the U.S., Damm has been struggling to find the same amount of success she previously exuded in Brazil. With her next fight set to take place in her home country, it could provide the impetus she needs to turn things around.
ProMMAnow.com (www.prommanow.com) spoke to Damm this week about the details of her upcoming bout, her thoughts on the loss to LaRosa and if she thinks the competition in the U.S. is tougher than in Brazil and other *parts of the world.
We also found out what types of things the beautiful brawler likes to do when she is not fighting and got her opinion on the future of women’s MMA.
Carina Damm handstand. Photo courtesy of Strikeforce
PRO MMA NOW: Hi Carina, thanks for talking to us at ProMMAnow.com. We last saw you in the cage back in March against Tara LaRosa. What have you been up to since that fight and do you have your next fight scheduled yet?
CARINA DAMM: Hi, I’m still training hard and I’ve been playing some submission tournaments. I like to always be in the rhythm of competition.*Yes I have a fight scheduled for May.
PRO MMA NOW: Can you tell us who you are fighting and where?
CARINA DAMM: My next fight will be on Amazon Fight Brasil No. 8 championship in the city of Belem, the capital of Para, where I will face the tough boxing champion Maguilla Deize.
PRO MMA NOW: Do you still have a contract with either Shark Fights or Strikeforce — and if you do, do you know when you will return to fight in either promotion?
CARINA DAMM: Yes,*I’m still under contract with Strikeforce. As far as Shark Fights, Jesse Finney, my manager is in talks to return in my next show.
PRO MMA NOW: What are your thoughts on your fight with Tara LaRosa — was she tougher than you thought she would be?
CARINA DAMM: Despite Tara LaRosa is the number one ranking, I was well prepared to fight, where I dominated the fight all the time and in my simple carelessness she eventually came to finalization.*I’ll keep training and be sure to be back in her face!
PRO MMA NOW: Unfortunately, your last three fights have not gone your way. Can you talk about maybe why this is, is it just tougher competition maybe here in the United States or what do you think may be the problem?
CARINA DAMM: With certainly I come from three defeats in my last fights, most women do not think the U.S. are better or stronger than the other the rest of world. I am an experienced fighter and already fought in several countries, struggling with and defeating such Americans as Jessica Aguilar, Molly Helsel and Sophie Bagherdai among others. I will always keep training.
Carina Damm in her Bodog days. Photo credit: Bodog
PRO MMA NOW: Are you living here in the U.S. full time now, *who are some of the people you train with and who are your coaches there at Finney’s MMA in St. Louis? — Do yo do all of your training at Finney’s MMA?
CARINA DAMM:Yes I am living in St. Louis, Missouri. I train with my husband Luis Sapo (Muay Thai and jiu jitsu), Jesse at Finney’s MMA helps with my fitness and also my husband at the time because I am awaiting the arrival of the master Andre Bank, who was recently hired by Finney’s.*I train here in Finneys and the team for which my husband and today is part of me too.*I believe that over time the team Finney’s HIT Squad will be among the best teams in the MMA world.
PRO MMA NOW: Is there any woman out there right now in particular you would like to fight next or sometime soon?
PRO MMA NOW: What is that makes you want to be a professional fighter and how did you get started with MMA?
CARINA DAMM: I’ve always been involved in martial arts, and practiced since I was a child. Always overflowed my force and my aggressiveness in training.*Never needed to hurt anyone on the street because I always had a lot discipline. The sport made
Carina "Beauty but the Beast" Damm - Photo courtesy of StrikeforceThirty-two-year-old Brazilian Carina “Beauty but the Beast†Damm (15-6) will return to mixed martial arts action on May 27 when she faces “Gorilla†Deize at Amazon Fights 8 in Belém, Pará, Brazil.
Damm, who fights at 125-pounds, was on a 10-fight win streak prior to making her Strikeforce debut in August of last year where she suffered a second round submission loss to Japanese “Girlfight Monster†Hitomi Akano.
Her most recent fight, which resulted in her third straight loss, was against Tara LaRosa at Shark Fights 14 in March. After a back and forth first round, LaRosa submitted Damm with a heel hook 28 seconds into round two.
Now living and training in the U.S., Damm has been struggling to find the same amount of success she previously exuded in Brazil. With her next fight set to take place in her home country, it could provide the impetus she needs to turn things around.
ProMMAnow.com (www.prommanow.com) spoke to Damm this week about the details of her upcoming bout, her thoughts on the loss to LaRosa and if she thinks the competition in the U.S. is tougher than in Brazil and other *parts of the world.
We also found out what types of things the beautiful brawler likes to do when she is not fighting and got her opinion on the future of women’s MMA.
Carina Damm handstand. Photo courtesy of Strikeforce PRO MMA NOW: Hi Carina, thanks for talking to us at ProMMAnow.com. We last saw you in the cage back in March against Tara LaRosa. What have you been up to since that fight and do you have your next fight scheduled yet?
CARINA DAMM: Hi, I’m still training hard and I’ve been playing some submission tournaments. I like to always be in the rhythm of competition.*Yes I have a fight scheduled for May.
PRO MMA NOW: Can you tell us who you are fighting and where?
CARINA DAMM: My next fight will be on Amazon Fight Brasil No. 8 championship in the city of Belem, the capital of Para, where I will face the tough boxing champion Maguilla Deize.
PRO MMA NOW: Do you still have a contract with either Shark Fights or Strikeforce — and if you do, do you know when you will return to fight in either promotion?
CARINA DAMM: Yes,*I’m still under contract with Strikeforce. As far as Shark Fights, Jesse Finney, my manager is in talks to return in my next show.
PRO MMA NOW: What are your thoughts on your fight with Tara LaRosa — was she tougher than you thought she would be?
CARINA DAMM: Despite Tara LaRosa is the number one ranking, I was well prepared to fight, where I dominated the fight all the time and in my simple carelessness she eventually came to finalization.*I’ll keep training and be sure to be back in her face!
PRO MMA NOW: Unfortunately, your last three fights have not gone your way. Can you talk about maybe why this is, is it just tougher competition maybe here in the United States or what do you think may be the problem?
CARINA DAMM: With certainly I come from three defeats in my last fights, most women do not think the U.S. are better or stronger than the other the rest of world. I am an experienced fighter and already fought in several countries, struggling with and defeating such Americans as Jessica Aguilar, Molly Helsel and Sophie Bagherdai among others. I will always keep training.
Carina Damm in her Bodog days. Photo credit: BodogPRO MMA NOW: Are you living here in the U.S. full time now, *who are some of the people you train with and who are your coaches there at Finney’s MMA in St. Louis? — Do yo do all of your training at Finney’s MMA?
CARINA DAMM:Yes I am living in St. Louis, Missouri. I train with my husband Luis Sapo (Muay Thai and jiu jitsu), Jesse at Finney’s MMA helps with my fitness and also my husband at the time because I am awaiting the arrival of the master Andre Bank, who was recently hired by Finney’s.*I train here in Finneys and the team for which my husband and today is part of me too.*I believe that over time the team Finney’s HIT Squad will be among the best teams in the MMA world.
PRO MMA NOW: Is there any woman out there right now in particular you would like to fight next or sometime soon?
PRO MMA NOW: What is that makes you want to be a professional fighter and how did you get started with MMA?
CARINA DAMM: I’ve always been involved in martial arts, and practiced since I was a child. Always overflowed my force and my aggressiveness in training.*Never needed to hurt anyone on the street because I always had a lot discipline. The sport made